Together and Alone
by wolf08
Summary: Sakura nurses Sasuke back to health at her house after a mission. His dependency on her evokes something new in his heart... Feauturing Team 7 in their glory days and heart-melting sasusaku moments! REVISED VERSION. COMPLETE.
1. Part 1

*******NOTICE**: **WOLF08 IS ALIVE! That's right, I'm still here! I am going to update and revise all of my stories in good time. :) Please see my updated profile for more information. I am so sorry for the prolonged delay.**

**This story is my first *new* project. It was originally a LONG one-shot, but I extended it and split it into 10 parts. All 10 parts are complete, and I will upload one every day for the next 10 days. :) This story underwent MAJOR changes, so if you read it before… I recommend that you read it again! ;)**

**This was my first fanfiction, so I felt that it was only appropriate that I revised it first! :) The language is simple and pretty easy to follow, but I took out grammatical errors I encountered in the revising process.**

**Thank you and enjoy. 3**

Together and Alone – Part 1

Sakura Haruno sighed with relief when she saw Naruto. "Hey Naruto! Naruto!" she called happily, "So you and Sasuke are alright?" Naruto looked away. "Hey, where is Sasuke anyway?" Naruto made a sad expression. "No…" Sakura couldn't believe it. Kakashi watched her sadly, but Zabuza attacked him- forcing him to ignore her. Sakura and the bridge-builder ran past Naruto to find…Sasuke lying on his back with needles sticking out from various parts of his body. Six or seven of them were sticking out of his neck- like a spiked collar.

STOP! We all know that in the end, Sakura's crying wakes him and that he is fine by the next day, right? Right! Now, what if Sasuke's injuries had turned out to be more serious? It's now time to put a twist on the Naruto series and enter the world of _What if's…_

Kakashi strode over; blood-splattered from his battle against Zabuza and Haku. Sakura and the bridge-builder looked up at him curiously, and Kakashi nodded, proclaiming defeat. Naruto jogged over too- still teary-eyed from Haku's dramatic death. He looked down at his fallen team-mate, Sasuke, who had sacrificed himself for Naruto. Naruto looked away sadly, remembering Sasuke's last words, "Don't let your dream die…" Sakura was shaking Sasuke's arm hopefully, and Kakashi and the bridge-builder watched sadly.

At last, when Sakura's method of trying to wake him had clearly failed, Kakashi picked Sasuke up carefully and said, "We should return to Konoha. The doctors will sort this out. Do not worry." Despite his words, his voice was quiet and full of doubt. Naruto and Sakura noticed this.

"Right," Sakura said. Naruto nodded. The bridge-builder bid them farewell and returned to his home.

It was a silent walk across the bridge. After a few minutes, Naruto piped up, "Inari was awesome, huh?" Sakura said nothing. Kakashi closed one eye- meaning that he was smiling under his mask. Silence followed.

Sasuke's head lolled from side to side as Kakashi walked. They reached the end of the bridge. When they at last reached the outskirts of Konoha Village, Kakashi stopped. "Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked quickly.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, spinning around.

Kakashi was looking down at Sasuke, whose eyes had snapped open.

"Sasuke!" Sakura squealed. Naruto gasped. Sasuke was shaking and wincing. Kakashi put him down.

Sasuke touched his neck with his hand. Kakashi pulled it away. "There's nothing you can do about it. Someone else will have to take them out." No one could tell if Sasuke had heard him or not- he was still wincing and reaching for his neck.

"Pick him up sensei! We need to get him to the village!"

"Wait, Naruto! I think he's trying to say something!" Sakura said.

Sasuke's mouth quivered. "Where's…Haku...," he said.

"He's dead, Sasuke, don't worry," Sakura said.

"Did Naruto…?"

"No, it was, um-"

"It was me," said Kakashi. Sasuke didn't say any more. His wincing slowed down and Kakashi picked him up again.

They entered Konoha Village. "Aw man, the hospital is at the other end of the village," Naruto said, "Now what? Where does he live?"

Kakashi looked around. "He lives on his own. His family is dead so no one would be able to take care of him. Where do you two live?"

Naruto shifted. His house was a wreck and he didn't want anyone to see it. "Well, um, my house is at the other end of the village too."

"What about you Sakura?"

"My house is right up here! My mother can help take care of him." They dashed up the road to Sakura's house.

They burst in and they could hear a voice from the kitchen: "Sakura is that you?"

"Yes mom! I've got to hurry upstairs!"

"Why?" her mother asked turning the corner. She stopped when she saw the others. "Oh my, what happened? I thought you only went on D-Ranked missions!"

Kakashi sighed. "I'll explain it all to you. Here, you two. Take him upstairs." Sakura and Naruto both lifted him up the stairs and into Sakura's bedroom, and they placed him on the bed. They both sat beside the bed. His breathing was shallow and he was shaking and sweating.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"Wake up!" Naruto yelled. No luck. The two of them shook his arm desperately.

Then Kakashi and Sakura's mother came into the room. Sakura's mother was carrying a towel and a bunch of bandages. "We'll have to remove these needles. Here Sakura, I'll pull them out, and you dab it and put a bandage on him." Sakura took the towel and bandages.

Her mother started with a needle in his arm. She pulled it out, dripping blood everywhere, and Sakura quickly dabbed it and wrapped it up in a bandage. For two hours they continued this. Naruto and Kakashi waited patiently. Sakura and her mother had great difficulty removing the spikes from his neck- they were afraid to cut his innards while pulling it out.

When at last they had completely finished pulling out all of the needles and bandaging the wounds, it was nearing evening. "Would you two like to stay around to eat?" Naruto nodded, but Kakashi stood up.

"I must go," he said. "I leave Sasuke in your care. Thank you." He left with a wink.

"We're having _ramen_?" Naruto asked excitedly. Sakura forced a smile. Naruto was finished within two minutes. Sakura ate slowly. "Well, see ya!" he said standing, "Good luck with Sasuke. I'll come visit in the morning." Sakura and her mother waved.

"Are you finished too, Sakura?" her mother asked. Sakura nodded. She wasn't very hungry and she wanted to check on Sasuke. She slowly walked to her bedroom and she could hear her mother cleaning the dishes in the kitchen. Her heart pounded as she slowly pushed open the door. She was afraid to find him motionless; dead…

Sasuke was lying in the exact same position he had been in before. Sakura strode over and noticed that blood had already soaked through most of the bandages. She could also see the blood soaking through the cloth around his neck. Sasuke suddenly took a large and shaky intake of breath. "Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked urgently. He took no notice of her and he began to shake. "Sasuke-kun!" she said more forcefully and kneeling beside the bed. He moved his hand towards his neck, but Sakura pulled it away. "They aren't healed yet," she said haplessly, for she knew that he wouldn't be able to hear her. "Here I'll help you."

Sakura removed the cloth (and noticed that his wounds hadn't healed at all), and she dabbed them with a new, dry cloth. To her surprise, his eyes opened. They didn't snap open like before- they slowly fluttered open revealing his dark, onyx-black eyes. Sakura dropped the cloth. "S-Sasuke?"

He rolled his head across the pillow toward the sound of her voice. He winced and reached for his neck again. "Don't move Sasuke!" Sakura said grabbing his hand again. "Your wounds are very sensitive! You don't want to-"

"Sa…Sakura?" he breathed.

Sakura gasped. "Oh Sasuke! You're awake!"

He blinked and slowly his eyes moved to look at her. "Sakura," he said again.

"What is it Sasuke? Do you want something? I'll do anything to meet your needs. Here, are you thirsty?" she asked grabbing a glass of water from the bedside table.

He was unable to nod, so he closed his eyes and said, "Yes." Sakura held the glass up to his lips and tilted it back for him to have a mouthful. When he swallowed he winced. He opened his eyes again. "Where am I?" he asked, looking around.

"This is my room," Sakura said.

Sasuke closed his eyes. Sakura waited for several minutes and then figured that he had fallen asleep. She changed a few of his bandages. Then she got herself ready for bed. She went downstairs to wish her mother goodnight. "He's come around," Sakura said, "But he's sleeping now."

Her mother smiled. "I'll make a nice breakfast in the morning."

Sakura frowned. "He is having difficulty swallowing though. I gave him some water, but he was hardly able to swallow it."

Her mother sighed. "We'll see in the morning. Goodnight," she said kissing her daughter on the cheek.

"'Night."

Sakura walked up to her bedroom. It then occurred to her that she had no place to sleep. She went to the closet and grabbed a spare pillow and blanket and she made herself a small place to sleep on the floor beside her bed. She glanced up at Sasuke and was glad to see that he was breathing somewhat regularly now.

Sakura fell asleep.

**Thank you for reading! :3 Please leave a review!  
**


	2. Part 2

Together and Alone - Part 2

She woke up the next morning slowly. She stretched and she turned around and was shocked to see Sasuke sitting upright in her bed. His eyes were open and he was watching her. "Get down!" Sakura said rubbing her eyes and standing up, "You aren't healed yet!" Sasuke didn't move. Sakura tried to pull him down by the arm. "Sasuke get down! I've got to re-bandage your wounds!" He reluctantly sank back into the pillow.

He winced a few times, but not nearly as frequently as before. "I'm…a little hungry," he said shifting uncomfortably. He was used to taking care of himself.

"Well actually," Sakura started, but the door burst open, drowing her out.

"Good morning Sakura! Oh my, I'm glad to see you're awake too! Sasuke, wasn't it?"

Sakura's mother was holding a tray filled with food. It smelled wonderful to Sakura, who hadn't eaten very much the previous day. The tray included two teas. Sasuke looked shocked when Sakura's mother placed the tray on his lap. Sakura could understand why: his parents were dead and Sasuke wasn't used to being served. He stared at the food longingly, but didn't eat.

"Thank you," he said quietly, turning to Sakura's mother.

"Don't mention it!" she replied, smiling. Sakura took her tea from the tray and she enjoyed every gulp. Sakura's mother left the room after checking Sasuke's injuries.

"Does it hurt swallowing?" Sakura asked, turning to Sasuke who was talking large mouthfuls.

"A little," he replied simply. "But I'm feeling a little better."

"Great! Just don't try to get out of bed just yet. Kakashi and Naruto will be visiting you soon." Sasuke groaned. He finished up the food and sank back into the pillows again.

Sakura finished her tea and took Sasuke's tray. She dashed down the stairs just as Naruto walked in, yawning. "'Morning Sakura," he said tiredly. "He awake yet?"

"Yep!" Sakura said, running to the kitchen and dropping off the empty tray. They went up the stairs and into Sakura's room.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke returned it with a tired wave. "Is he well enough to be taken to the hospital yet?" Sakura but her lip. She enjoyed taking care of him. She had always been fascinated with healing procedures, and she certainly enjoyed taking care of this particular patient.

"No," she replied. "He is in too much pain." Sasuke frowned at her, but he didn't say anything.

"Well, I think that the hospital would be the best place for him though. I mean they would do a much better-"

"No!" Sakura interjected. All eyes were now on Sakura. She turned a dull shade of pink to match her hair. "W-well, what I mean is…um…my mother is a nurse…and I know a lot about medical treatment …and well, I just think it would be better if he stayed in bed and didn't try moving yet. We don't want him to risk opening up the wounds," she said matter-of-factually.

"Guess you're right," Naruto said sighing. Sasuke said nothing. Either it would have hurt him to speak, or he had nothing to say.

Naruto waited with them all morning and they talked. Sasuke didn't speak. He merely watched them. When noon was nearing, Naruto said, "Well Sakura-chan, I'm hungry! Shall we go out somewhere for lunch?"

Sakura was hungry too, but she hesitated. "Umm…well…Sasuke are you hungry?"

"Hey! I thought you said he wasn't allowed to leave the bed yet!"

"I know…it's just, we could pick something up and bring it back here and eat it." Naruto frowned. Why did everything always revolve around Sasuke?

"Stay in bed while we're gone, Sasuke. We'll be back soon," Sakura ordered. Sasuke nodded and lay down. He watched the two of them leave. They were both smiling and talking. He was alone.

Sasuke walked over to the window- hunched over in pain. He peered out the window and watched his two team-mates laughing and discussing where they should get the food. He watched as Sakura slapped Naruto in the face for probably saying something perverted. She was smiling though. Sasuke suddenly felt angry. He wobbled back to the bed and pondered over these strange feelings. He should be glad they were leaving. They were giving time to himself at last. He never wanted others around or had needed them around. He was used to isolation. But perhaps he was so used to the others' company and care, that he began to feel loneliness. But only slightly.

Sakura and Naruto returned shortly after, carrying bags filled with food. They were still laughing and pushing each other when they hustled into the room. They put the bags down. "Naruto convinced me to get ramen again," Sakura laughed.

"Well the stuff you wanted was a piece of-"

"Naruto!" Sakura cut him off and slapping him again. Sasuke watched glumly.

"What is it Sasuke?" Sakura asked. "Injuries bothering you? Here, I'll re-bandage them." Sakura grabbed her pillow and his pillows, making it comfortable for him to rest on. Sasuke felt a tingling sensation when she placed his head on the pillow. She re-bandaged his wounds carefully and cleaned them while Naruto dug into the food they had just bought.

Sakura got a bottled drink. "We got some soft foods for you, Sasuke so it won't hurt as much. Here," she said, pressing the bottle to his lips. "Drink up!" She tilted it back and Sasuke opened his moth just enough to let a few of the bottle's contents in. Sakura continued feeding him, and Sasuke didn't hesitate once. He was hungry.

Finally they finished every last morsel of the food. "Need anything else, Sasuke?"

He considered this question. "I need a bath," he said.

"Well, Naruto, I will leave him in your care," Sakura said.

Naruto at last escorted Sasuke back through the doors of Sakura's room. He was barely able to stand and was limping horribly. Sakura scurried over and took his other side. They led Sasuke towards the bed. Once he had lain down, Sasuke asked, "Sakura, how much longer should these wounds take to heal?"

She pondered over this a little and said, "Well, it's only been one day. I would guess that at this rate, at least several days." He sighed, but overall, he was not disappointed by this news.

They spent the afternoon talking in Sakura's room about future missions. Sasuke avoided talking too much because it hurt when he moved his mouth. Finally, at four o'clock in the afternoon, Naruto had to leave. "Well, I'll see you in the morning. Get well soon, Sasuke, so we can go on another mission." He nodded. Sakura escorted Naruto to the door. When she returned, Sasuke had his eyes closed.

"Sasuke?" she asked quietly, in case he was sleeping.

"Yes?"

"Oh. You're awake," she said cheerily. She sat at the end of the bed and watched him. He opened his eyes.

"What do you want?"

She blushed. "N-nothing." She stared into space for a few minutes. Sasuke watched her.

"Sakura?"

"Yes?" She loved it when he said her name.

"The blood is soaking through the bandage."

"Oh! Here, I'll fix that up!" She got some new bandages and a wet cloth. She slowly removed the bandage from his arm. She dabbed it with the wet cloth. Sasuke winced. "Sorry," she said, "but this will hurt a little." She put a new bandage around it and patted it gently. Sasuke felt a strange sensation that had nothing to do with his injury. "Any other wounds bothering you?" He shook his head. He leaned his head back and thought over these strange feelings.

After a silence, Sasuke said, "Actually now that you mention it, my neck has been hurting. I think you should change the cloth."

"Right," she replied, dashing out to get another cloth.

Sakura carefully removed the cloth from his neck and she leaned inward to get a closer look. Sasuke felt it again. He then realized that it was some sort of yearning that he was experiencing. Why? He nearly blushed, but he got a hold of himself and he frowned instead. Sakura placed the new cloth over his neck and walked out of the room with the old one. The feeling disappeared. His heart pounded. Strange. He hadn't done any physical activity recently."

When Sakura returned, she sat on the bed again - but closer to him, Sasuke noticed. She closed her eyes and swayed a little. "I'm…a little tired. All of this running around, I guess. I'm a little hungry too." Sasuke waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"Get something to eat then and go to sleep," Sasuke said.

"Yeah…I should…I should sleep." She yawned and swayed again.

Catching Sasuke by surprise, she collapsed onto the bed next to him, sound asleep. She curled up against his sore body and rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't dare move. He looked down at her calm expression. The feeling came back. His heart was pounding again and he was tingling strangely again. He closed his eyes too- although he wasn't ready to sleep.

She was a little heavy, causing him slight pain, but that did not concern him right now, for some reason.

Suddenly the door to Sakura's room opened and in walked Mrs. Haruno. "Here Sasuke, I brought your dinner, and I… oh." She was carrying a tray of food that made Sasuke's stomach growl. He was so hungry. "I'm sorry about her. She must be hurting you." For a fleeting second, he almost said, "Who?" but then he remembered Sakura resting on his shoulder and curled up next to him. He suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"She was tired," Sasuke said, "There was nothing I could do. She just fell asleep." Mrs. Haruno stepped closer.

"Here," she said, putting down the tray on the bedside table. "I'll move her."

"No," Sasuke said before he could stop himself. "... I mean, it doesn't hurt or bother me. She was tired and she probably shouldn't be disturbed."

Mrs. Haruno cocked an eyebrow and smiled. Sasuke felt really uncomfortable now. "Alright," she said, placing the tray on Sasuke's lap. "I'll come check on you later to take your tray. Enjoy your meal," she said happily before leaving.

Sasuke ate his food as quick as a flash and enjoyed every piece of it. He dropped the empty tray on the floor and lay there. He glanced down at Sakura who was still clinging to him as she had been before. Why would this make him feel happy?

He slowly put his arm around her, despite the discomfort the motion caused him. He was cautious because he was afraid to disturb her. Once his arm was on her opposite shoulder, he gave her a small squeeze, pulling her a little closer. He rested his head on hers. Comfortable and relaxed, he fell asleep.

Mrs. Haruno came in the room ten minutes later. She took the tray, pulled down the blinds, turned out the light and kissed each of them goodnight on the forehead.

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review! :3**

**See you tomorrow with Part 3! (assuming there won't be another fanfiction login glitch! :p )**


	3. Part 3

Together and Alone - Part 3

Sasuke woke first. He blinked and was now used to Sakura's bedroom- having stayed there for the past two nights. He looked down at Sakura who was shifting a little. Sasuke quickly pulled his arm back and moved over to the other side of the bed.

Sakura open her eyes. She was facing him. "S-Sasuke-kun? I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep. I was tired and hungry. I'm really hungry now." Sasuke sighed. She hadn't noticed his arm… thank goodness.

She rolled out of bed and stretched. "I'll go make us breakfast if you don't mind waiting." He nodded.

She returned half an hour later with another two trays filled with food. To Sasuke, Sakura's house was almost like a restaurant, accept that there was unlimited food and it was free. She handed him a tray and he noticed that he had much more food than she did. He began eating slowly. She was finished long before him and watched him eat. "I'm not hungry anymore," he lied, "Finish mine."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure?"

He nodded and said, "Hn."

She took the tray and smiled at him sweetly. "Thank you!" She sat on the floor and ate. He watched her out of the corner of his eye.

When she was finished, she took the trays and tottered downstairs. Sasuke could hear her talking with her mother. When she came back in, she said, "Naruto won't be able to come over this morning. He's come down with a terrible cold. He's got no one to take care of him, and my mother promised him that I would go visit him for the day. I think I'll get him some flowers on the way there. Do you mind being alone today?"

Sasuke wasn't sure how to reply. Of course he minded. But instead he said, "Go ahead. I'll see you later."

Sakura imagined she heard a trace of sadness in his voice. "I'll be back this evening," she said. And then she left.

As he had the other day, Sasuke limped over to the window and watched her go. Her hair fluttered in the breeze and she was smiling again. Her hands were in her pockets and she was shivering a little. Sasuke sighed. She was leaving to see Naruto. _Again_.

Sasuke sat on the bed. He was really bored. He decided to go downstairs.

Using the railing for support, Sasuke slowly climbed down the stairs. Her house was small but very comfortable. He looked around, holding the wall for support. He walked into the kitchen and he saw Mrs. Haruno sitting at the table and drinking a coffee. "Glad to see you're out of bed!" she smiled. He nodded and leaned against the counter so he wouldn't fall over.

"Thank you for letting me stay," he said.

"No problem. It is a pleasure to be in your company. I am happy you're here," she said with a gentle and sincere smile. He didn't know quite what to say.

"I'm... happy too."

Sakura entered the flower shop and saw Ino at the counter.

"Hey forehead. What brings you here?" Sakura ignored her and picked a pretty flower. She went over to the counter. "Who's this for?" Ino asked.

"Naruto," Sakura answered quietly, "He's sick."

Ino wrapped the flower. "Good," she said. "I thought it was for Sasuke."

Sakura smirked. "Well now that you mention him, he's been staying at my house for the past couple of days..."

"What?"

Sakura handed her the money and left with a smile.

She walked down the road towards Naruto's house.

Sasuke walked back up the stairs after his tea. He trudged along into Sakura's room and decided not to go to bed yet. He looked around. On her desk there was a framed picture of squad 7. He, Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi all looked up at him and he couldn't help smirking. He had this same picture at his home. He sat at her desk. Piles of academy books that she probably knew by heart were all over the place. He opened the top drawer and found one book. He pulled it out. It was called "Photo Album."

He opened it and on the first page, there was a picture of Sakura, smiling. It was labelled "Me". He turned the page and saw a picture of her class when she was younger and when Iruka-sensei was her teacher. He turned the page and there was a picture of Sakura and Ino, linking arms and smiling. They had been best friends until he entered the picture. On the next ten pages, there were different pictures featuring squad 7. He had remembered them from when they had received their first missions.

He turned the page again. The next picture was of Kakashi-sensei, and then there was one of Naruto, and then there were five of Sasuke, and then another of Naruto, three more of Sasuke, two of Kakashi, three of Naruto, and then seven Sasuke's. He hadn't remembered ever seeing her take those pictures before. Most of them featured him frowning (his traditional pose).

He turned the page once more to the last page in the album. It was hand-drawn. Quite terribly, too. It must have been the work of a child. He was able to distinguish himself standing next to her. They were smiling and staring up at him. His heart pounded when he read the words beneath the drawing: "Mrs. Sakura Uchiha." He slowly closed the book and he put it back in the drawer. He sat on the bed and pondered over what he had just read.

Sasuke had a late lunch, which was kindly delivered to him by Mrs. Haruno. Sakura returned a couple of hours later with a small bag in her hand. Sasuke could hear the door opening, Sakura talking with her mother, and then he heard her walk up the stairs.

"Sasuke!" she exclaimed when she saw him sitting up, "Are you feeling better?" He nodded. He was still thinking about the photo album. "Guess what I brought home?" He looked up.

"I rented a movie, and…well…if you're feeling well enough, maybe we could…we could-"

"Ok."

"Really? G-great! I also brought some snacks and new bandages."

"How's Naruto?"

She sighed. "Not too bad. It seems that he's come down with the flu. Nothing to worry about. He had really liked the flowers." She smiled. Sasuke felt unexpected feelings of bitterness.

After dinner, Sakura helped Sasuke down the stairs to the living room. He was shaking and he was really sore after having his bandages replaced again. Sakura guided him over to the very small couch. He sat down and she put in the film. Mrs. Haruno walked in. "What are you two doing down here?"

"Watching a movie," Sakura answered and sitting on the couch.

"Ah. Well then, have fun," she said smiling and closing the door. The room was dark until Sakura flicked on the TV.

The movie was action-packed. Sasuke enjoyed it, especially because he had been in bed doing nothing for so long. Suddenly he felt the pain from his injuries. "I'm hurting," he said bluntly, while wincing.

"Oh, do you want to go back upstairs or do you want to lie down?"

"I think I should lie down."

He stretched across the couch, his head resting on one end and his feet hanging off the other. Sakura was squished in between him and the back of the couch. She lay down next to him in order to fit. She propped her elbow up on arm rest and she rested the side of her face on her fist in order to see the screen over Sasuke's head. The movie kept the two of them awake. It was really exciting. It seemed more exciting than it would normally since they had been bored for the past couple of days.

The movie had a happy ending leaving Sasuke and Sakura feeling happy. Neither of them reached for the converter as the credits rolled on. Neither of them wanted to move either.

Sakura saw Sasuke close his eyes, and she rested her head on the side of the couch too. She stared at the back of his head.

"Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Um…I was wondering... Does your hair stick up like that naturally?"

He opened his eyes in surprise, "Yes."

Sakura chuckled. "Really? Wow."

The credits ended and the screen went black. The room was dark too. Sakura suddenly felt Sasuke wince again from all of his injuries. She felt his tension. Slowly, she reached her hand out and began stroking his hair. He immediately relaxed. \

"You ok? Do you want to go upstairs?" she whispered.

"No. I'm fine," he whispered back. For reasons he didn't understand, he wanted to stay just where he was.

"You sure?"

He did not answer. Instead, to Sakura's surprise, she felt Sasuke lean back into her. Perhaps he was trying to pin her in place. Perhaps he was snuggling up to her. She continued stroking his hair, calming him. She tried her best to make him feel relaxed so he wouldn't be able to feel the pain. It seemed to be working until the door to the living room opened and the two of them sat up. Mrs. Haruno walked in wearing her nightgown.

She turned the light out in the kitchen and everything was nearly pitch black. "Oh, you're still in here? Well goodnight you two," she said smiling and going up the stairs.

The darkness was calming. A few seconds later, their eyes adjusted to the darkness and they lay back down. Sasuke pressed his back to her again. She resumed stroking his hair.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like staying here while you recover?" she whispered. He smiled although she wasn't able to see.

"I dunno. A little bit, I guess. Your mother is really good at cooking."

"Oh," she said. She hadn't expected him to say that.

"It's nice that I am not recovering alone."

Sakura felt her heart pound. Sasuke rolled over to face her. He was so close that their noses could touch. He didn't move any further though. He opened his eyes and they glowed in the darkness.

"Sakura," he said softly. She blushed, but he wasn't able to tell because of the darkness. She was still squished between him and the back of the couch. "Thank you for taking care of me."

She smiled. "Your welcome." He returned the smile. They fell asleep.

**Gradually picking up in the fluffiness, eh? ;)  
Thank you for reading! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! :3  
Ps - I re-read so many of the old reviews. They truly melt my heart. Thank you all!**

**See you tomorrow with Part 4!**


	4. Part 4

Together and Alone - Part 4

When morning came, the two of them realized that they had overslept. They blinked and sat up. Sakura screamed and Sasuke spun around and winced.  
Kakashi and Sakura's mother were standing over them and watching them. Sasuke and Sakura went red and moved to opposite ends of the couch.

"Good morning!" Mrs. Haruno said, handing each of them a tray of food.

"Yo," said Kakashi, waving, "How are you feeling Sasuke?"

"Better. I think I'll be ready to go on another mission in a few days."

"Just take it easy." Kakashi paused for a moment. He reached into his suriken pouch and pulled out his book called "Make-Out Paradise." "Here Sasuke," he said, "You can borrow it."

Sasuke backed away and winced again from his injuries. "What makes you think that I'd want to read that?" Kakashi giggled girlishly and winked. Sasuke looked absolutely horrified. Sakura covered her laughing with a cough.

Sakura turned and looked out the window. She sighed when she saw the rain pour down heavily against the windows. "Oh yes, and Sakura?" Kakashi asked. Sakura looked up. "Naruto insisted on you visiting him. He said it would make him feel…erm…much better."

Sakura sighed. "I understand sensei. But in this weather, I will have difficulty getting there. I'll try though," she added, smiling.

Sasuke felt angry. This time he understood that this was not regular anger; this was jealousy.

Sasuke and Sakura ate their meals in silence. Kakashi and Mrs. Haruno sat at the other end of the living room on chairs. When at last they had finished, Sakura stood up. She grabbed her coat and then she said, "Bye mom! Bye Kakashi-sensei! Bye- oh yeah. Sasuke-kun, would you like me to pick something up for you?" He shook his head and watched her leave with a strong feeling of sadness. He watched her struggle against the wind with the rain pounding against her. He watched her until she was obscured by the fog.

He turned around and saw Kakashi watching him. Kakashi pointed to his suriken pouch, where his beloved book was concealed, and nodded suggestively. Sasuke shook his head and went upstairs. He was still in a lot of pain and was wondering why these wounds were taking so long to heal. Maybe he would have been in better condition if he had gone to the hospital instead-?

He pushed the thought out of his mind and he went into Sakura's empty room. He sat at her desk again and opened the top drawer. He took out the Photo Album and turned to the last page. "Mrs. Sakura Uchiha". He hadn't known why he had suddenly wanted to see those words. Maybe it was for reassurance- like that Sakura wouldn't betray him for Naruto.

Sasuke rummaged through other drawers, trying to keep himself occupied. Suddenly a thought occurred to him: Why was he doing this? These things may be precious to Sakura, and he was looking through them without care? Or was he acting possessively? Since when had he been like this? Sasuke walked over to the bed and lay down. He waited for three hours. Then he fell asleep.

"He was out like a light when I brought him his lunch."

"Aw."

"He must be in pain."

"Yeah…well I can't wait until he wakes up because I've got to show him-"

Sasuke's eyes flickered and saw Sakura and Mrs. Haruno standing over him. "What is it you have to show me?" he asked and attempting to sit up.

"Oh Sasuke! Well, I got a couple more movies and a lot of sweets. You must be bored silly!"

"And hungry," Mrs. Haruno said, thrusting the tray onto his lap. He ate without hesitation, but his arms throbbed when he moved them. After entirely skipping lunch, the food felt so good.

"How's Naruto?" he asked through a mouthful of food.

"Personally, he seemed quite well. I think that all he wanted was company so he invited me over. How are you feeling? Better? Worse?"

"No change from yesterday," he answered honestly.

"Here I'll change your bandages while you're eating." After taking off the bandages, Sakura and Mrs. Haruno both examined the wounds.

"When you start feeling well enough, Sasuke, we'll close them up with chakra," Mrs. Haruno said.

Sakura helped Sasuke down the stairs again when he was at last finished eating. She helped him sit down, and then she popped in a movie. Mrs. Haruno said goodnight and closed the door. It was dark again- until Sakura flicked on the TV. She sat next to him clutching her bag of treats.

This time the movie was a comedy. It was about these stupid people who were trying to be ninja and were achieving nothing. "This movie was made for Naruto," Sasuke said quietly. Sakura couldn't hold in her laugh.

About half way through, Sakura asked, "Hungry?" She opened the bag of candies. There were assorted chocolates and candies.

"I guess," he answered.

She handed him some, but when he reached out for it, his arm failed him and started shaking. She patted his arm and motioned for it to stay still. She put all of the candies back in the bag- all but one, and she pressed it up against Sasuke's lips. He opened his mouth and allowed her to pop it in. She smiled at him. He blushed and focused on the movie again. Throughout the movie, Sakura continued this method of feeding him. He didn't mind. But near the end of the movie, he said, "My neck his hurting."

"Would you like to lie down?"

He shook his head.

"Would you like to go upstairs?"

He shook his head.

"Then what do you want to do?"

He did know what he wanted to do. But he hesitated. Then ever so slowly, and catching Sakura by surprise, he leaned against her and rested his head on her shoulder. She smiled and leaned back and resting her head on his.

When the movie ended, neither of them felt tired. Sakura checked her watch and it read 9:00pm. "We have time for another one, I guess," she said standing up and popping in another movie. Sasuke didn't complain. She pressed play, and sat down. Sasuke was sitting up against the arm rest. When she sat down at the other end of the couch, he grabbed her arm and dragged her over to him. "What are y-?" Sasuke pulled her between him and the back of the couch like the previous night- only this time…closer. Sakura found it kind of silly how they were huddled in the corner of a long couch- but she didn't mind, of course. Snuggling with Sasuke had been one of her life goals since she was just a small girl!

She hugged her legs that were folded in front of her. The movie began. The movie so far was about a stupid man ("That's Naruto," Sasuke said), and a pretty young girl. ("That can be me!" Sakura said). As the movie went on, a new character was introduced. He was evil but good-looking. ("And that's you," Sakura laughed. "Hm," Sasuke said.).

Sakura sat up and grabbed the bag of sweets. Sasuke pulled her back into position. She popped a few more into her mouth and his mouth. The movie continued. The Naruto-character and the Sakura-character were trying to hunt down the evil Sasuke-character. The Naruto-character was crazy about the Sakura-character but she thought that he was stupid.

Later on in the movie, there was a big battle scene. The Sasuke-character had an army attack the Sakura-character and Naruto-character. The Sakura-character was wounded and dragged off by the attacking enemies. The Naruto-character didn't realize that she was gone yet.

The Sakura-character was locked in a small room in the Sasuke-character's hideout. The Naruto-character at last realized that she was gone, and set out to save her. Meanwhile, the Sasuke-character had made the Sakura-character his slave. He was really mean and cruel to her.

The real Sakura shifted and Sasuke noticed this. He rested his head on hers to calm her.

The Sakura-character was planning to escape, but didn't know how. The Naruto-character was out in the middle of nowhere. Sakura-character was sobbing in her room, when Sasuke-character approached her. He asked her to come with him. The two characters in the movie walked down to a large kitchen. Then the Sasuke-character asked the Sakura-character to join him for dinner because he had an important matter to discuss. She reluctantly said yes.

That evening the two characters sat opposite to each other. The Sasuke-character served the Sakura-character food and then asked her if she wanted to join forces with him. He told her that she was really strong and that he admired her power. The Sakura-character had blushed. Then, surprising the Sasuke-character, the Sakura-character said, "You must be lonely." He replied by sighing and saying, "Yes." The Sakura-character smiles. "Then I accept- as long as you promise not to treat me like your slave."

They shook hands in agreement. The Sasuke-character treated the Sakura-character with more respect, and they fell in love with each other.

The real Sasuke and real Sakura suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. As the movie progressed, Sakura-character continued fulfilling the Sasuke-character's wishes. They continued dining together and became great friends.

Finally, one day, the Naruto-character burst into the hideout. He grabbed the Sakura-character. She protested, but he didn't believe her. He thought she was under some sort of spell. The Naruto-character attacked the Sasuke-character. The Sakura-character tried to break up the fight, but the Naruto-character kept attacking. The Sasuke-character didn't attack him back- he merely blocked his attacks.

The Sakura-character was screaming for the Naruto-character to stop. The Naruto-character turned to her and he then came to the conclusion that she wasn't the real Sakura-character. He lunged at her, but the Sasuke-character blocked it and finally, he started to fight back.

The real Sakura and Sasuke had their eyes on the screen. In this battle scene, Sakura had leaned against Sasuke so forcefully, that he nearly fell off the couch.

The two characters battled, but then the Sakura-character joined the fight, taking the Sasuke-character's side. The Naruto character was horrified at her decision. He attacked her again, but the Sasuke-character stepped forward and he got the attacked instead. He was thrown backwards and hit the wall. He went limp and the Sakura-character started crying. The real Sakura started crying too. "It's just a movie, you know," Sasuke whispered. She nodded and wiped her eyes.

The Naruto-character stopped when he saw the Sakura-character crying. She told him to leave and he obeyed. He looked shocked. The Sakura-character was bawling all over the Sasuke-character. She was shaking him and trying to wake him. Then slowly, his eyes flickered open. He stood up and she stood up too. He took her into his arms and they kissed.

The real Sakura and Sasuke were frozen. Distracting herself, Sakura popped another candy into her mouth and then one onto Sasuke's.

When the characters in the movie broke apart, the Sasuke-character fell over. He was dead. The Sakura-character didn't move. The real Sakura stared in disbelief. What a crappy ending.

Then the credits started. "Well that was disappointing," Sasuke said tiredly. "I died."

Sakura nodded and listened to the music from the TV. It was gentle and calming- unlike the actual movie had been. She closed her eyes. "Hey, don't tell me you're tired already," Sasuke said.

Sakura glanced at her watch. It was nearly midnight. "Yeah, I am," she answered honestly.

He sighed. "I'm not."

She looked at him curiously. "I didn't rent any other movies. I don't know what your intending to do. I've run out of ideas and I'm tired."

He sighed. "Well what do you want to do tomorrow night?"

She looked up and thought. This had sort of become a routine. "I dunno. What do you want to do?"

Neither of them had come up with any good ideas after fifteen minutes. "Maybe I should rent more movies?"

"You could."

"Maybe I should invite Naruto over?"

"No."

"Maybe we could have a really nice dinner?"

"I dunno. It's up to you."

"If you're feeling well enough, maybe we could go for a walk?"

"That is doubtful."

"Well what do you want to do?"

"Hm."

They were getting nowhere. They were running out of ideas for entertainment around the house. "Oh well. We'll think of something eventually."

"Maybe…" The credits ended and the screen went black. The room went black too- making Sakura's heart beat really fast. To his own surprise, so did Sasuke's.

Sakura sank back into the armrest. She was still squished between Sasuke and the back of the couch. Her legs were still folded and she felt really, really comfortable. Purposely, Sasuke then leaned into her again. He was still sitting up, so her head reached to about his chest. She looked up at him, and caught his eyes, which were already in a steady gaze.

"Goodnight," he said in a voice that was far more tender than Sakura was used to hearing.

She couldn't resist it.

Sakura propped herself up and kissed him - quickly yet affectionately - on the cheek.

With equal quickness, she burried her face back into the arm rest and pretended to fall asleep. Sasuke did not know what to do. He sat, frozen to the spot, for several long minutes before he followed her lead and went to sleep.

**Thank you so much for the reviews so far! Love y'all!**  
**Thanks for reading, and please review. :3**

**See you tomorrow with Part 5!**


	5. Part 5

Together and Alone - Part 5

Morning came quickly, and when Sasuke rolled off the couch, Sakura had already left. He heard the door to the living room open and Mrs. Haruno came dashing in, putting on a jacket and holding a briefcase. "What is it?" Sasuke asked, having a feeling that this would be important.

"Emergency at the hospital…I'll be there all day…Sakura already left…got to go to work…be back later…if you feel well enough pop by later and get your wounds sealed…bye!" and with that Mrs. Haruno dashed out the door. Sasuke immediately made a mental note _not _to visit the hospital later. He would get his wounds sealed and then he wouldn't be allowed to stay…

Sasuke watched as Mrs. Haruno left. He was alone again. Another day of boredom had awaited. He had vowed earlier that he would not go rooting through Sakura's stuff again…so he officially had nothing to do. He got ready and changed and then, for the first time in a few days, Sasuke stepped outside. He enjoyed being outdoors. He felt free. Accept for the fact that he ached when he took a step forward.

He then wondered what he should do. He was going to avoid going to the other end of town where the hospital was, so he would have to stick around here. Then a thought occurred to him: Maybe he could surprise Sakura and Mrs. Haruno and buy something for the evening.

He walked very slowly down the road. His sides and neck were killing him. Where should he go first? He looked around. The Academy. A house. The weapon shop. The flower shop. The-…wait! The flower shop! He could pick up some flowers. That would be a good start.

He slowly walked inside and took in all of the bright flowers surrounding him. He wondered which ones the Haruno's would like best…He stopped. There at the counter was a blonde fangirl of his. What was her name? Ami? Ino? Whatever.

She looked up and then stood up in shock when she saw him staring. She blushed and trotted over. _Damn it, _he thought, _I knew this was a bad idea! _

"Sasuke-kun! How are you? What brings you here?" He sighed. He hated crazy fangirls. Especially the ones that couldn't even keep a straight face while looking at him. Just like this one.

"Just getting some flowers," he replied angrily. He turned his back to her and ignored her.

"For who?" He ignored her again.

He then spotted these bright pink flowers with a green center. _Perfect. _

"I'll take these," he said, picking out a bunch.

"O-ok Sasuke-kun." She returned to the cash. Sasuke fumbled in his pockets and pulled out some money. He was very wealthy. He obtained the majority of the Uchiha clan's money. This was a lot for his clan had once been very large. There were now only two surviving members: Him and his brother who he was planning to kill. His brother had been the one who had murdered the rest of the clan.

"Erm…Sasuke-kun?"

"Uh," he said, realizing that he had blanked out for a moment. He handed her the money, and grabbed the flowers. He turned to leave, but the blonde fangirl called out to him, "Oh wait! I was wondering…is it true that you are staying with Sakura?" He did not turn back and continued walking.

Before he opened the door, he said, "Yes." He left, leaving Ino staring in shock.

He continued walking. He passed the ramen shop, a house, a book store, and then he stopped before the movie store. He saw Kakashi inside and he went in.

Kakashi looked up and waved. He was scanning the shelves. "No they don't have it…well anyways…funny meeting you here, huh? What brings you here?" Sasuke didn't know how to answer.

"I'm picking up a movie for me and…and…"

"Sakura?" He couldn't avoid it any longer.

"Yeah." Sasuke could tell Kakashi was smiling under the mask.

Changing the subject Sasuke quickly added, "What are you here for?"

Kakashi suddenly looked sad. "I was looking to the movie of the book I was reading. You know, the one that I insisted on you reading?" Sasuke grunted.

"Before I leave, I wanted to ask you, Sasuke, how are you feeling? I see you're out and about."

"I dunno," he said.

"Well you just take it easy," Kakashi said, turning to go.

"Wait!" Sasuke said before he could stop himself.

"I don't know what movie to get!" Kakashi smiled in surprise. This would probably be the first and last time that the great Sasuke Uchiha would ask for advice.

"I might be able to help you there. What kinds of movies to you two like watching?"

Sasuke considered this. "We like all different kinds. It doesn't really matter. What do you recommend?" Kakashi looked at him with a scary look in his eye. "Nothing perverted," Sasuke said quickly. "Sakura would probably kill me." Kakashi sighed- clearly disappointed.

"Well, I don't know what kind of movie you're looking for. I-" then he paused. "Wait, I know just what to get you. Stay here." Kakashi came back with two movies. "They're both really good. Watch them. See ya!" and with that he left.

Taking his sensei's advice, Sasuke rented the two movies and left the store.

He made a few stops- he bought some fancy food and drinks, some candles, and everything else he could think of that could possibly make the Haruno's happy. On the way back, he saw Kakashi snooping around in the bookstore. He continued walking, but then a very flashy store caught his eye. He walked over and recognized it as a jewellery shop.

He gazed in at all of the shimmering trinkets. A ring caught his eye- a gold ring with shining pink and blue jewels. _I wonder if I'll be buying that ring someday, _he thought to himself, when the memory of the photo album returned. He pleasantly imagined how he would propose. Would he say, "I need to avenge my clan" or did that sound too much like an order? He pushed that out of his mind. It would be at least five years before he would have to consider that. He was about to walk on, but he heard a screech from behind him.

He turned around and backed away. A huge pack of fangirls had spotted him. _Damn! I can't run in this condition! On top of that, I've got things to carry! _The insane pack of girls of a variety of ages (one was in her fifties to his horror), charged at him. He ran down the road to the Haruno's house. He was very thankful that it wasn't very far.

He went inside and locked the doors. Peace. The Haruno's clearly weren't home yet- giving him time to get ready. He was finished in half an hour.

He checked the clock on the wall. 3:00. He plopped down in a chair. 4:00. 5:00. 6:00. At last he saw Sakura and her mother walking back down the road. He tried to get up and greet them, but his sides were killing him. When the door opened, Sakura was panting and Sakura's mother said, "Sorry we're late, Sasuke, it looks like we'll have to rush…" and she stopped. She looked into the dining room. Sakura looked up too. Both of their jaws dropped. The finest china was set, beautiful flowers were in the center, candles were lit, the wonderful scent of food was floating through the air, and the room looked fit for royalty.

"You did this?" Mrs. Haruno asked, looking at him with watery eyes. He nodded. She walked over to him and hugged him. He was stiller than still. She let go quickly. "Thank you son," she said quietly. Sasuke didn't know what to say. _Son? _

The three of them sat down and served themselves. The food was amazing. They ate in silence until Sasuke said, "How did it go at the hospital?"

Mrs. Haruno sighed. "We saved a young boy today. He was at the brink of death. All of the doctors and Sakura here combined their chakras and saved him." So that was why Sakura had been so worn out.

After another moment of silence, Sakura said, "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun; I wasn't able to pick up anything for tonight."

He nodded. "Good," he said without looking at her, "because I did."

When dinner was finished, Sasuke served dessert. "My, my Sasuke, you should come over more often!" _Never underestimate an Uchiha… _he thought smoothly.

When dessert was over, it was 7:30. Sasuke politely cleared the table, but Mrs. Haruno insisted on washing the dishes. She told them that she was going to get a bath and would see them in the morning.

Sasuke led Sakura to the living room. She noticed that it too had been rearranged. The couch was on the other end of the room, and in front of the TV, there was one arm chair. There were candles everywhere. Sakura grinned. "So what movies did you pick up?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I've got no idea. I ran into Kakashi and he suggested these two."

Sakura gasped. "You let him choose?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "He promised that they aren't gross."

Sakura exhaled. "Thank goodness."

They walked over to the chair. Sasuke popped in the movie and then placed the converter on the side table. Sakura stared at the small chair in disbelief. What was he planning? He sat down and looked up at her. "Are you going to sit down?" She stared. Where?

"I can't sit on your lap- your wounds haven't finished healing."

He smirked. "Well then, sit next to me," he said shifting over. She sighed and squeezed in next to him. It was still a little comfortable.

To their surprise, the movie wasn't that bad. It was another action thriller and the romance was cut down to a minimum. "Wow," Sakura said, "Kakashi really _does _have great taste in movies. This really wasn't what I had expected." Sasuke nodded.

Towards the end of the movie, Mrs. Haruno walked in. She smiled and mouthed the word, "Goodnight." They returned the wish. She went upstairs. Shortly after, the movie ended.

"That was pretty good," Sasuke said in amazement.

"Yep," Sakura said. Sasuke got up and popped in the second movie. He strode back to the armchair and picked Sakura up by the waist. "Wha-?" He sat down and carefully placed her on his lap. "Sasuke-kun! I'll hurt you!"

He shook his head. "I won't feel it. Don't worry." She sat bolt upright until Sasuke told her that he wasn't able to see the screen. She hesitantly eased back and rested her head on against him.

The movie wasn't quiet as action-packed as the previous one, but they still had to give Kakashi credit for this movie was indeed a perfect selection. It was late so too much action would only make them stir. This one was just right for the mood.

The point of this movie was hard to make out, but it had great music and scenery. It was relaxing and pacifying. Sakura nearly fell asleep several times, but when Sasuke noticed this, he poked her. By the end of the movie, Sakura had a sore arm.

"That was good, huh Sasuke-kun?" She rolled out of the chair. Sasuke followed suit and they went upstairs. Sasuke sat on her bed and Sakura slid into her sleeping bag. She sighed. "It's been awhile since we've slept in real beds huh?" He nodded but didn't lie down. He must be so restless from not doing anything for the past couple of days.

Sakura closed her eyes, but snapped them open moments later when she felt herself being lifted into the air. "Hey, wha-?" Sasuke paced her on the bed- still in the sleeping bag. Then he climbed onto the bed next to her, and draped an arm across her back.

Sakura closed her eyes, but she could sense that he was watching her. She opened them again and raised an eyebrow at his piercing, steady gaze.

"You forgot something." He touched his own cheek with his finger.

It took a moment for his words to register in Sakura's head. But when they did, her heart began to pound.

She raised her head and gently pressed her lips to his cheek. Immediately after, brought her head back down and burried her face into his shirt.

He could feel her heart pounding. He felt an unusual satisfaction. Soon they both fell asleep.

**Thank you so, so much for the reviews so far! I hoped you liked this chapter, and thank you for reading! :3 I would love to hear what you think! Don't be shy - leave me a review. ;)**

**See you tomorrow with Part 6!**


	6. Part 6

Together and Alone - Part 6

When Sakura woke up, Sasuke wasn't there. She slipped out of her sleeping bag and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She rolled up the bag, got ready, and then went downstairs. She heard the clanging sounds of dishes from the kitchen. She peered inside and found her mother preparing breakfast.  
"Where's Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

Her mother spun around. "Good morning! Well, you've overslept. I'm not sure where Sasuke is." Sakura frowned. "How was the movie last night?" Mrs. Haruno asked, interrupting Sakura's worried thoughts.

Sakura looked up. "It was really good. Kakashi-sensei really does have great taste!"

Mrs. Haruno nodded and said. "So what did you and Sasuke do?"

Sakura looked up in surprise. "We…we watched the movie, of course. Why do you ask?"

Mrs. Haruno turned to Sakura with a grin and she put her hand on her hip. "I saw the two of you on that little armchair. He's crazy about you Sakura. Don't you like him?" Sakura tried with all of her might to avoid blushing. _Crazy about me...  
_  
"Well…y-yeah…but it's not like we did anything. We just watched the movie." Sakura answered honestly. Her mother nodded, trusting her.

But then, Sakura felt a new presence enter the room. She spun around but no one was there. "Strange," she muttered, "I swear that I could have-"

When she turned to face forward again, Sasuke was standing right in front of her. She jumped back and raised her arms defensively, but hit the cupboad behind her. She nearly tumbled to the floor, but Sasuke steadied her just in time. He seemed quite amused by his little trick and was smirking.

"Where were you? I was worried!" she said, a little angrily.

"I was returning the videos, of course. Where else would I be? Oh…and I have some…er…good news."

Mrs. Haruno and Sakura both looked up. "What is it?"

Sasuke turned away with a frown. "I'm leaving this afternoon. Kakashi told me that it was time for me to return back to normal, and he was with his friend who was a medic… And she said I should be just about ready to return to my normal lifestyle... So I'll go home after lunch."

Sakura stared up at him blankly. "Oh," Mrs. Haruno said. She had enjoyed having Sasuke around.

Mrs. Haruno noticed Sasuke and Sakura staring at each other sadly and she decided that now would be the best time for them to have a little privacy. She grabbed the broom and pretended to go sweep the living room. She closed the door carefully behind her.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said sadly, "do you want to go?" Sasuke shook his head and stared at the ground, determined to hide his blush. "But you aren't finished healing yet!" But then she noticed that he was no longer wearing bandages. She examined the wounds and saw that they could no longer be called wounds. They were now more like scabs or scars.

"Do you want to take a walk?"

Sakura looked up. "Sure."

Sasuke and Sakura walked silently along the road. There weren't many people outside because it was so early in the morning. The weather was cool and crisp. "Where do you want to go, Sasuke-kun? We haven't got much time- breakfast is nearly ready."

"I know."

They walked for a good ten minutes to the other end of Konoha. They arrived at Sasuke's house. It was dark and dusty because it had been abandoned since the departure to the Land of Waves a month ago.

"This is where you live, huh?" Although it was dark, Sakura noticed that it still looked really fancy and expensive. "It's really nice. And big too."

He shook his head. "No," he said his voice fading slightly, "It's really lonely." She glanced at his onyx eyes, and she saw real sadness in them for the first time. He squinted them slightly. "Sakura?" he said quietly. She looked up.

"What is it?"

"Will you visit me tonight?"

She smiled. _He's really going to miss me? _"Sure Sasuke-kun! I can't stay late though, because tomorrow we will be starting our missions. Kakashi will want us at the training grounds early in the morning."

He nodded. "But he'll probably be late anyways."

"You never know. He may show up in time tomorrow. I mean, this will be our first training in a long time." He nodded again.

"Well, let's head back," he said. On the way, they passed Choji, Shikamaru and Ino.

"Hey," Shikamaru said lazily. Choji had his mouth full and Ino squealed at the sight of Sasuke.

"My Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed and running towards him with her arms spread out wide. Sasuke backed away slowly and Sakura stood between them protectively.

"Fangirls are such a drag..." Shikamaru said. Choji was still munching, Sakura and Ino were having a glaring contest and Sasuke was still backing away.

Choji looked up suddenly. "Shi-ma-u!" he gasped between mouthfuls. Shikamaru looked over. "I need ribs!" Choji yelled, running down the street. "You're so troublesome!" Shikamaru said running after him.

Ino looked up. "Hey wait you guys! We've got to go train with Asuma-sensei!" and with that, the three of them were gone.

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. "That was random," he said.

"You bet," Sakura said turning and nearly colliding with someone. She looked up and saw someone with a wide smile and bowl of ramen.

"Naruto-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, "Are you feeling all better?"

He nodded and gave Sakura a friendly hug, making Sasuke's stomach lurch. "And you?" Naruto said looking at Sasuke. He nodded with his usual annoyed expression on his face. "Guess what?" Naruto suddenly exclaimed after walking a little with them. Sakura and Sasuke turned. "Kakashi-sensei registered us for the Chunin Exams! He said he would explain it to us tomorrow."

"Chunin?" Sakura asked, suddenly feeling uneasy. "Like Iruka-sensei?"

Naruto suddenly stopped. "Oh that reminds me…" he said, "I'm meeting Iruka-sensei for ramen…got to go! Bye!" He dashed off and Sakura laughed.

"Naruto can really be funny sometimes," Sakura said with a chuckle. Sasuke grunted in agreement. When they reached Sakura's home at last, they ate the breakfast that Sakura's mother had served.

"Thank you," Sasuke muttered when he finished and while bringing his plate to the counter. "I'd better be going."

Sakura and her mother both looked up in surprise. "Already?" they said together.

"Yeah…I've got to fix up my house a bit and do a little training to get me back into shape… so I'd better go." Sakura's mother gave him a quick hug before he turned to Sakura.

She was about to say something, but he interrupted her by saying, "See you tonight." He left and she smiled and watched him walk down the road.

Sakura's mother stood by her and put her hand on her shoulder. "He was nice having around," she said. Sakura nodded.

The rest of the day was long for Sakura. She considered doing some training, but if she met Sasuke, he would think she was stalking him. She did chores with her mother to pass time. Her mother sighed. She had a day off, but she didn't know what to do. Maybe she could invite a few friends over that evening. Ino's mother, perhaps.

Finally when evening came, after a quick dinner, Sakura told her mother that she was going out for a couple of hours. He mother granted her permission, but told her that she shouldn't stay out too late because she has training the following morning. Sakura left in comfortable clothes and a long coat.

When she arrived at the other end of the village and at Sasuke's door, she knocked uncertainly. It swung open moments later, and Sasuke stood there beaming. He was wearing pyjama bottoms and no shirt, to Sakura's surprise. "I was just washing up. I did some training and it felt so good! My injuries have slowed me down physically, but my chakra is at a dangerously high amount. It must have built up while I was recovering. Oh, would you like to come inside?" He stepped aside to let her pass.

Sakura noticed a few changes. He had attempted to liven things up and it was a little more colourful. There was no dust and a few lights were on. Sasuke led her to a door that led to the basement. "Go on," he said. She went in and he closed the door behind them. At the stair's base, there was a huge room with several closed doors along its walls.

"Wow," Sakura said, admiring its vastness, "Someone could pay you to live down here!" He smirked and led her to a door. He opened it and let her pass. When she got in, she gasped.

The room was not too large or too small. The room's walls were pale blue with a pink border. The TV was as big as one of the walls and looked like a movie theatre. It was decorated beautifully and colourfully, and Sakura thought she was in her dream room. "Oh…my…gosh," she said while spinning around. Sasuke smirked again and walked over to the TV.

"What movie do you want to watch?"

Sakura turned her attention over to him again. "It doesn't matter. Whatever you feel like," she said looking around. Sasuke grabbed a random movie that he didn't remember watching before.

He popped it in. Sakura was in a daze admiring the room, so Sasuke took her hand and had to drag her over to the couch. When she sat down, she sank right in. It was really soft, just the way she liked it. She leaned back and found that the back of the couch was soft too. "Wow," she said as Sasuke sat down. "This is…this is…" She paused. Sasuke must be really rich with all of this luxury and perfect everything. She suddenly felt bad because when he was recovering at her house, she had far less to offer. She and her mother weren't poor, but it was only the two of them and their salary wasn't amazingly great…

"I'm sorry," Sakura suddenly said.

Sasuke turned. "What?"

She sighed. "Well…when you were with us, we couldn't get all of this for you…you must have been used to it, so I'm sorry." With that, she hung her head down and stared at her feet. Sasuke wasn't sure of how to comfort her. He had decorated this room for her to feel happy. Why was she suddenly sad?

"You don't get it," he said with a frown and looking away. "I liked staying at your place better than here." Sakura looked up, unconvinced. "Imagine having to be here in all of this empty space- alone. Day after day. I come home from the academy or from a mission and no one is here to treat me or to comfort me. I do it all on my own. I wasn't lonely when I was at your house." Sakura still didn't turn.

"Hey! All of this stuff doesn't matter! I couldn't care less whether this stuff was here or not! What matters to me is that…is that..." he started, slightly unaware of what he was saying, "you're with me." He felt Sakura twitch and there was an extremely uncomfortable silence lingering in the air. Sasuke couldn't believe that he had just admitted that and he was afraid to hear her reaction. Sasuke still was unable to decode his feelings, but he now had at least been able to get most of it out. He blushed and tried to glance at her reaction, but she was already starting to turn around.

Her face was calm and rosy as usual but there was something different about her. Maybe it was the sparkle in her green eyes. Maybe it was the small smile she was wearing. Maybe it was the tear that had fallen from her bright, green eye. Without hesitation, Sasuke reached out and whipped the tear from her face.

Sakura looked a little startled. Then slowly she said, "You know, Sasuke, you've changed."

He turned away. "How so?" he said quietly.

She smiled. "Well, you're an avenger, right? Wasn't that all you had on your mind before? How come you're so…nice?" He considered this. Why was he acting this way? What feeling was this? Could it be…?

He turned back slowly. "I don't know," he answered. He paused for a moment, lost in thought, before he said, "Can we start the movie?"

Sakura blinked several times before she smiled and nodded.

Sasuke pressed the play button and the movie started. Unlike the other nights, the two of them kept their distance. The movie started off calm, but suddenly it became a horror movie. Sakura glanced at Sasuke. "Did you know what this movie was about?" Sasuke shook his head.

They continued watching but it only got more and more terrifying. Sakura covered her eyes, and Sasuke said, "Why are you scared? We've been through this stuff!" She nodded and uncovered her face, shaking.

As the movie rolled on, she was forced to cover her face again. Sasuke could no longer resist so he reached out to her. He put his arm around her trembling shoulders and pulled her over to him. He forced her to lean into him and she did without hesitation. She was able to strive through the rest of the movie, occasionally burying her face into Sasuke at the scary parts. When it ended with a sad ending, the two of them were left sitting there with their heart-rates up. "I won't be able to sleep like this," Sakura said timidly.

Sasuke nodded. "Here, I'll pick a different one," and he walked over to the movie shelf. He seemed to randomly select. He read the back of the movie and put it back. He randomly took another one and read the back. "Ok, I found one that seems more…calm."

He was about to put the movie in, but he said, "Oh wait. I forgot something." He ran out of the room. Moments later, he came back with a large, fleece blanket that bore a large Uchiha crest. Sakura stood up and allowed him to wrap the two of them up in it. He pressed play and they waited for the movie to start, huddled on the long couch.

This movie was pretty good for a randomly selected movie. It was another ninja movie, but not quiet as action-packed as the last ninja movie they had seen. Sakura could slowly feel her heart-rate going back down…until Sasuke put his arm around her. She looked at him nervously, but he didn't look back and was pretending to be really interested in the movie. When she too faced the screen, Sasuke smirked and gave her a small squeeze. The movie wasn't very long, but it was long enough to get the two of them good and tired. When the credits started playing, neither of them bothered to retrieve the movie.

"So what did you think?" Sasuke asked tiredly. Sakura nodded in approval. She glanced at the clock. It read 9:30pm.

Sasuke noticed her peering at it and he smirked. "We've still got plenty of time." To her surprise, he lay back onto her lap. He seemed to be full of surprises in the past while.

The credits came to an end. Sasuke opened his eyes and looked up into Sakura's bright, green ones. She was looking around and still admiring the room. Sasuke frowned and got up into a sitting position. He looked out the small window. "It's dark out," he said quietly. "I think I should walk you-," but suddenly, the lights went out.

**Ouu, this is where things start to pick up the pace. :)  
Thank you for reading and for the reviews so far!  
I love to hear your feedback, please leave me a review! :D**

**See you tomorrow with part 7!**


	7. Part 7

Together and Alone - Part 7

Sasuke spun around and Sakura looked up. They looked at each other for any signs of understanding, but there were none. The room was dead silence. Sakura suddenly had the urge to give her mother a call.

Sakura stood up and she ran over to the nearest phone. She picked it up, but it wasn't working. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her cell-phone. Sasuke stood next to her and was looking around. "Strange. The power's out." Sakura called her number and waited. One ring…two rings…three rings…

"Hello?" Sakura sighed in relief.

"Mother? It's-"

"Sakura! Where are you? I've been worried sick!" her mother said in a serious whisper.

Sakura was slightly surprised by her mother's answer. "I-I'm at Sasuke's house."

"Good."

"Is the power out over there too?" Sakura asked timidly.

"Yes," she whispered with the same worried tone. "I just got off the phone with Ino's mother. She has just been informed that our village is being attacked. All of the Jonin and the ANBU level ninja are in a battle right now. Are you ok?" Sakura nearly dropped the phone.

"What?"

"A band of Sound ninja were caught trying to sneak past the wall surrounding our village. One of the power lines was accidentally cut in the battle. Stay hidden Sakura."

"W-where in the village is this taking place?" Sasuke was looking at her intently- trying to understand her expressions.

"They are scattered throughout the village. Please stay hidden Saku-"

Sakura waited. All she heard was a ringing sound. "Mother?" she asked nervously and feeling Sasuke's curious eyes on her. "M-mother?" she said a little more urgently, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Realizing that no answer was going to come, she slowly lowered the phone and pressed the "end" button lightly. Sasuke gave her a piercing gaze and waited for an explanation.

Sakura stared up at him for a few moments before she spoke. "We're being attacked…by a band of sound ninja…they're scattered throughout the village and all of the Jonin and ANBU are in battle…and we have to stay hidden."

"So a power line was cut?" he asked while watching her shaking. To his surprise, a tear slid down her cheek.

"I dont understand why mom mother stopped talking," she said quietly and attempting to wipe the tear away with her sleeve, but trembling. He wiped it for her before turning and opening the door to the room. Sakura followed him timidly.

They stood in the largest room in the basement with many doors leading to other rooms in its walls. "What will we do-" but Sakura was interrupted by a sudden crash from upstairs. Sakura squeaked, but Sasuke quickly covered her mouth with his hand to stifle it. They froze for a couple of moments and then they heard more clattering and the door leading to the basement clicked open.

"Damn," Sasuke uttered with a trace of panic. He quickly scooped Sakura up, dashed into one of the rooms and closed the door behind him. "We have to hide, Sakura," he whispered while putting her down. She nodded and her heart pounded with fear. He grabbed her arm and ran with her to the far corner of the room where there was another door. He dashed through it and closed the door behind him.

It was nearly pitch black and Sakura could barely see where Sasuke was leading her. All of the rooms they entered had wooden floors and were slightly dusty. It was like a maze.

They continued running as quietly as possible and going through random doors and trying to lose the ninja who were trailing them. Although they had been running for awhile, they could still hear clattering and footsteps in rooms behind them. Sakura was nearly scared to death. It was as if this were right out of the horror movie they had seen. Sasuke kept his cool to the best of his ability, but on the inside he was shocked and a little fearful. Besides the fact that the Uchiha Estate was big and one of the richest parts of Konoha, why were the sounds ninja here? If they were after the riches he had, they wouldn't have bothered to follow him down here. Why were they after him?

They entered a room and Sakura noticed instantly that there were no doors leading off of it. "What d-do we do now?" she whispered nervously. He continued to run to the end of the room. He got down on his knees and pulled back a floorboard. There was no visible end to the hole in the ground.

He sat on the edge and prepared to jump. Then he quickly looked up at Sakura who was staring at the hole wearily. "It's either this or them," Sasuke said indicating door that was hiding the ninja who were slowly approaching. She looked tense. Suddenly they heard someone fumbling with the door knob. "So soon?" Sasuke spat and grabbing Sakura by the waist. He let himself drop into the hole and quickly covered the opening with the floorboard. He hoped beyond hope that he had not been too late and that the enemy ninja had no seen the board move…

Sakura was so nervous now that she wasn't really aware that they were falling. She was looking up at the now closed opening in which they had just dropped from. She couldn't remove the thought from her head …her mother. Why did she suddenly stop talking? Did the ninja attack her house too? Why would they attack her house in the first place?

They at last hit the ground, but this didn't slow Sasuke down. He roughly grabbed her arm and resumed running. Sakura noticed that his Sharingan were activated. "They're still following us," he muttered. They were in a dark tunnel-like room. Both of them were running out of breath and Sasuke was looking around frantically for a good place to hide. After a good fifteen minutes, he spotted a small doorway in the wall. He remembered playing hide-and-seek with his brother, and this was the spot that he had hidden in. It had taken Itachi half of a day to find Sasuke here.

He heaved a sigh and pulled Sakura towards the small doorway. He opened it quickly and scanned it. It was very small and it would be difficult for both of them to get inside. It would have to do though. Sasuke went in first and then he pulled Sakura inside. He closed and locked the door quietly and leaned against the back wall of the small room. Actually, it was the size of a little box. They sat shoulder-to-shoulder and waited.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke who was looking around through his Sharingan. Suddenly he froze. "They're down here," he said in a sharp whisper. Sakura nearly gasped, but she covered her mouth with her hand. They both froze and Sasuke followed the ninja with his eyes. How were they able to get down here? Was he not swift enough?

Sakura covered her face with her hands and tried to slow the shivering. Why did the ninja come to Sasuke's house? Why did they come to her house? Were they after all of the ninja in Konoha? No. They must be after Sasuke. The word must have been spread about Sasuke's injuries in the Village Hidden in the Mist. Somehow they had discovered that he had been staying in Sakura's house. But why did ninja from the Sound Village want Sasuke in the first place? Maybe they originally came for the Chunin exams or something.

"They're on our trail," Sasuke said quietly. Should they stay put and risk getting caught? Should they make a run for it and risk getting seen? He didn't move. He waited some more and realized that it would now be too late to leave.

To their horror, they heard someone on the other side of the door fumbling with the lock. Sakura felt silent tears streaming from her eyes. Sasuke was shaking. If they were caught, they would be forced to fight Jonin-level and possibly ANBU-level ninja. Unless someone came to help them, they would probably die.

The fumbling outside the door grew louder. The two trapped Genin didn't know what to do. The Sound Ninja had probably first attacked Sakura's house, found that they were unsuccessful, attacked Sakura's mother, went to Sasuke's house and now they right through this door- not fully aware that their target was waiting for them inside...

The people on the other side were now trying to yank the door open. Sakura rolled and leaned over Sasuke protectively. He was about to question her, but stopped when he heard the fumbling stop.

They tried not to move or make a sound. They were sure that the ninja could sense their chakras. Sasuke watched them through his Sharingan carefully. The ninja who was trying to open the door was walking towards the center of the tunnel. "They're not here!" he yelled. Five more Sound ninja came dashing towards him. "Are you sure?" one of them yelled. "Yes!" and with that, all six ninja ran through the tunnel.

The two Genin couldn't believe their ears. Sasuke watched the Sound ninja run through the tunnel. Sakura sat up a little, but Sasuke pulled her back down. "This could be a trap," he whispered into her ear.

Sasuke watched the Sound ninja leave through another tunnel. He looked around desperately and scanned upstairs. Nothing. Good.

Sasuke unlocked the door and following Sakura, he slid out. They ran back through the tunnel and reached the base of the hole in the ground. Remembering the tree-climbing exercise, they focused chakra to the bottom of their feet and ran up the wall. Sasuke went first.

When they went back through the floorboard, they continued running back through the doors and retracing their steps back to the largest room in the basement. While all of this was happening, Sakura was amazed at how large his house was.

Sasuke looked up the stairs and scanned it with his Sharingan. No one. He turned to Sakura. "Why did you shield me?" he asked. She turned away.

"They're after you," she whispered. He raised an eyebrow. "I figured it out. Please stay away from them." _If something happens to both mother and Sasuke-kun die, I don't know what I'll do. _A tear slid down her cheek again. Sasuke watched her with a concerned expression until they heard a noise from behind them. "He's not there!" said a voice.

Sasuke grabbed Sakura's arm again and pulled her up the stairs. They dashed through the kitchen and opened the grand front doors. What they saw scared them.

There was a huge battle taking place just outside his house. Sasuke and Sakura stood in his doorway for a few long moments to take in the surroundings.

Suddenly a Sound ninja spotted them. "There he is! Surround him!" he shouted, pointing at Sasuke. Before the enemy ninja could take a step forward, he took a shuriken to the head and went flying into a tree.

Kakashi stood over him. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried. Sasuke felt relieved.

"Get yourselves out of here!" Kakashi said sternly. "Try to avoid battle- these ninja are too strong!" He turned back to the Sound ninja that were now closing in on them. Sakura pulled out a kunai and began to run.

"Sakura, wait!" Sasuke yelled, following her. Kakashi managed to pare off most of the ninja, but Sakura was forced to swipe at a few of them. Sasuke threw a fistful of Shuriken at the swarm of enemies and it was enough to keep them away.

Sakura ran down the main road towards the other end of the village. Sasuke had to run to keep up with her. She was out of breath when she reached her front door…or what used to be her front door. She gasped and dashed inside. "Mother!" she called. She looked around the torn-apart living room, but there was no sign of her mother. She ran into the kitchen and it was just as bad as the living room. She got onto her hands and knees and searched. Finally, under a board, she found a hand. "Mother!" she screamed and trying to remove the boards. Sasuke kneeled down next to her and he pulled off the board and threw it aside.

Sakura studied her mother's pale face. A face that had once been so full of life was now so still…so blank…so…so…Sakura couldn't take it. She started to bawl. The sadness clawed her insides and tore them apart. Her tears landed in various places and she grabbed her mother's arm. Sakura was shaking uncontrollably until she was lifted into the air.

Sasuke picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "We have to get out of here," he said quietly.

He led her to the door. He looked down the street and could already see a few sound ninja running down the road. He dashed in the other direction, still with Sakura's mother over his shoulder. When they reached the outskirts of Konoha, he dropped her gently in the safety of a small clearing in the forest.

Sakura, still teary-eyed, crawled over to her mother. Her face was still, but her eyes had opened slightly. Sasuke kneeled down on the other side and looked down at a woman who had provided him with comfort while he had been recovering. Sakura patted her mother's shoulder gently, and her eyes flickered open. "M-mother?"

Her head lolled to the side. "Sa…Sak…Sakura…" she said, her voice cracking slightly. A couple of glossy and sparkling tears slid down Sakura's pale cheeks.

"Everything will be all right mother. I'm here. We'll take you to the hospital once the village is safe again."

Mrs. Haruno closed her eyes and took a sudden, shuddering intake of breath. "Take care of yourself Sakura," Mrs. Haruno said. Sakura couldn't think of anything to say. "And Sasuke..." Sakura's mother said, "take care of my daughter if it isn't too much to ask." Her voice trailed away and her body went limp.

There was nothing either of them could do. Sakura fought to hold back the tears and Sasuke stared at her mother desperately. "Is there anything we can do? Is there any way we can save her?" he asked quietly. Sakura entwined her fingered and placed them over her heart. She shook her head and closed her eyes, no longer attempting to hold in the tears. Sasuke sighed. He felt so pathetic and useless for not being able to do anything. It was not very often that he felt a strong emotion like this because he was usually able to conceal it…but not this time. He felt helpless. Not since the death of his own parents had he felt such sadness.

**Little twist in the story, eh? :p I hope you liked it!**

**3 more parts to go! See you tomorrow with Part 8. :)**

**Now it's review time! Please leave me one, I always love them! :3 And thank you so much for the reviews so far!**


	8. Part 8

Together and Alone - Part 8

They waited for hours and hours until they could see the sun peeking out over the horizon- proclaiming a new day. Sakura and Sasuke leaned against opposite tree trucks- fighting the urge to sleep. Sasuke suddenly stood up. "We should go see if the battle is over yet. I think it is…I haven't heard any sound for awhile." He carefully picked up Mrs. Haruno's limp body and placed it on his back. He could feel her weighing down on him, but although he was tired, he was still strong enough to carry her. Sakura followed slowly, rubbing her eyes. She was frightened to look at her mother. She was afraid to see her face so still…so lifeless…

When they at last re-entered Konoha Village, they saw the remains of a fierce battle. Uprooted buildings, bodies and trees lay scattered between the few buildings that were still standing. The building with the most damage was undoubtedly Sakura's. It looked like a bomb had exploded and there was barely anything left to it. Sakura looked at it and was lost for words. She had lived there all of her life. It was filled with all of her family's memories. Sakura saw her destroyed home…but she didn't believe it. Not her house. No way.

They walked to the other end of the village towards the hospital. Mrs. Haruno was immediately taken into an emergency room. Sasuke and Sakura were told to wait outside the room and that they would inform them on anything urgent. They sat in silence on the chairs in the waiting room. Sasuke felt Sakura shudder, so he stole a glance at her tear-stained face. She looked extremely tired and was swaying as she had been a few nights ago. He was almost able to countdown the seconds until she finally collapsed onto his shoulder. A nurse walked over moments later.

"We have discovered that…that…oh," she said, seeing Sakura sleeping soundly on the shoulder of a very tired Uchiha. He blushed and shifted a little, but made no motion to move her away. He didn't want her to have another crying-fit.

"Are you family?" the nurse asked.

He shook his head tiredly. "She is," he said pointing at Sakura.

"Ah," the nurse said quietly, "Well, we have discovered that she is definitely…dead. There is nothing we can do. I'm very sorry. Can we offer you a place to sleep?" His eyes opened in surprise. Dead? Just like that? Absolutely no hope? None at all?

"A-are you sure that nothing can be done?" he asked quietly and wondering why he had stuttered.

The nurse nodded sadly. "I'm very sorry," she said again. "The Hokage can help settle matters. The least we can do here at the hospital is to offer you a place to stay for the night." Sasuke stared, slightly dumbfounded, before he nodded.

He followed the nurse down the hallway while carrying a sleeping Sakura in his arms. The nurse led them to a room nearby and opened the door for them. He lay Sakura on the bed, plopped down beside her, and let sleep overcome his consciousness.

They woke up the following morning silently and around the same time. Sakura rolled right out of bed and walked off to the bathroom. Sasuke lay back and stared back at the ceiling. He didn't want to tell Sakura about her mother. Even if he was the cold-hearted Sasuke Uchiha, he still couldn't fall so low that he would tell her… Sakura returned from the bathroom wearing a new set of clothes (who knows where she got them), and a towel wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was dripping and a few pink strands of hair was flopped over her face. Her eyes were much duller than usual and didn't hold that lively feeling that they usually had…

Sasuke gulped and prepared to at last break the news. "Sakura," he said. She looked up with a slightly unfocused gaze. She stared into his onyx eyes although she didn't really seem aware that he was there. "Sakura," he repeated, "um, about your mother..." Sakura still gazed into his eyes, but not really seeing him. Sasuke, on the other hand, was feeling tense because of her stare. Her jade eyes pierced through him. He didn't want to tell her the truth. The sadness would return and her eyes would no longer be…be the way they were.

"She could not be saved," he said quietly, glad that he at last was able to get the words out. Sakura held her gaze, but Sasuke, for some reason, felt some sort of wave. A pang of despair emitted from Sakura, although she didn't show it. Sasuke felt a strange connection…

She walked over to the bed and sat down at last. She closed her eyes and sighed. She peered out of the window at the hospital garden. "I know," she said. Sakura took a shuddering breath. Sasuke could see a shining tear slide down her cheek. It shimmered innocently in the sunlight.

Sakura covered her face with her hands to stifle the sobs. She leaned back into the pillows behind her and lay back down on the bed. Sasuke didn't know exactly what to do. He didn't want to make her feel worse. He finally made the decision to lay down too. He didn't want to say anything to offend her, so he chose his words carefully. "Sakura? Maybe since we're both…well…without parents, maybe we could-" but he was cut of when he heard a nurse enter the room.

"The Hokage would like to have a meeting with you in…erm…five minutes. I don't mean to rush you, but you should hurry."

"So suddenly?" Sakura gasped, whipping away some of the tears. Sasuke dashed off to the bathroom to get ready. Sakura wandered out into the hallway.

She could hear a discussion in the room next to hers. She wandered over to the door curiously and listened in. One of the voices sounded familiar…

"This isn't wasn't what I ordered!"

"I'm s-sorry, but this was what it said-"

"I ordered Ramen! Understand? That's R-A-…A-…um…MEN!"

"I'm sorry sir. It won't happen again." Sakura backed away as a nurse came out of the room.

Sakura went through the door and found a very grumpy Naruto sitting on his bed.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed.

He spun around. "Sakura-chan! What are you here for?"

"I should be asking you that," she replied, sitting on the end of the bed.

He looked up at her and cocked an eye-brow with pride. "Weeell, Sakura-chan. When our village was under attack, I was eating ramen with my Hinata-chan. When we heard that there was an attack, we fled, but we passed a sound ninja who attacked us! And then, using my stunning ninja ability-" but Naruto was cut off when a voice from the doorway rang through the room.

"You waited for Kakashi to c-come and save us!"

Naruto frowned. "Aw Hinata-chan! Why did you ruin the best part?"

She blushed and looked down at her feet. "S-sorry Naruto-kun."

He smiled brightly. "No problem! Yeah, so where were you, Sakura-chan? What brings you here?"

Sakura hesitated to answer both questions. "Well, I was…I was actually at…at…Sasuke-kun's house…" Naruto and Hinata stared at her.

Hinata came over and sat on the bed. "Did h-he invite you into his house?"

Sakura turned away. "He was lonely from being by himself for so long so we-" but Naruto cut her off.

"SASUKE AND SAKURA! SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-"

SMACK!

Sakura stood over him, blushing, with her fist held victoriously in the air. "Hey Sakura-chan! Why are you always so violent? Why can't you be more like Hinata-chan?" Hinata blushed. Naruto almost thought he could see smoke coming from Sakura's ears. "You haven't finished answering my question! Why are you here Sakura-chan?" She sighed. She didn't want this topic to be brought back. "Are you hurt, Sakura-chan?" She shook her head.

"What happened Sakura-chan? I want to know! I want to-"

SMACK!

"Not again," Naruto groaned.

"Shut up, Naruto," Sasuke said with a frown. "Sakura, where were you? The Hokage wanted us at his office ten minutes ago!"

Sakura covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh my gosh! I forgot!"

"But Sakura-chan! You still haven't…haven't…Wait, why does the Hokage want to see you?" Naruto asked curiously.

Sasuke ignored him and dragged Sakura toward the door. "Sakura-chan! You still didn't tell me why you were here!" Naruto pleaded.

"I'm sure she doesn't want to tell you now! Sakura, let's _go_!" Sasuke said, pulling her out the door, leaving a very confused Naruto and Hinata behind. Naruto turned to Hinata.

"Something funny is going on..." he said. She nodded. "Oh I know why they're here!" Naruto exclaimed.

Hinata stared. "Why?"

"Sakura-chan has been spending the past few nights with Sasuke, hasn't she...? Maybe she's... Maybe she's... PREGNANT!"

Hinata started to laugh, but Naruto held a blazing and confident expression. That MUST be it. It all made sense now.

Sasuke and Sakura sat on two chairs that were facing the Hokage's desk. After Sakura apologized for the hundredth time for their late arrival, the Hokage asked for silence. "Sasuke, do you know why the sound ninja raided your house?"

He shrugged. "They were following me, but I don't know why."

Sakura piped up, "But they were definitely following him because they first attacked my house, knowing that Sasuke had been injured and staying there, and then when they discovered that he was no longer there, they went to his house. They pursued him when we were trying to hide."

The Hokage chuckled. "You are a smart girl," he said. After a pause, his expression became serious. "Sakura Haruno, what do you intend to do now? You have no other family here in Konoha Village. You have no home or parents. Where do you plan to live? Your mother's money is now yours."

Sakura blushed and looked at her feet. "She hadn't much money," she said sighing. She pictured herself on the street of Konoha like a hobo. She shuddered. Sasuke glanced at her, surprised.

"Well, I guess I could move into a small apartment or something that I can afford. I could do extra missions, and get a part-time job too. I might be able to work at the flower shop with my friend Ino." She looked up with a small tinge of hope in her green eyes. What was the Hokage planning on doing with her? Sakura seriously didn't know what she was going to do with her life now. Life had been so simple before…but now she was on her own. She had to fend for herself.

The Hokage nodded approvingly. "There are a lot of apartments available here, Sakura. But, they are also expensive. I can help you financially to the best of my ability, and I know others in the village are very willing to help out in times of need... But regardless, these situations are never easy." He sighed. Sakura looked up at him, tears welling up in her eyes. What was she going to do? She didn't really have a choice, but to buy an expensive apartment. How would she be able to buy food?

"No."

The Hokage looked up. Sakura looked up. Sasuke was on his feet and was staring at the Hokage with his usual fixed, cold look. "She will not live in one of those apartments."

Sakura turned to him, confused. "Then where am I going to stay? Will I live on the streets?" Sasuke didn't look back at her.

Keeping his eyes locked on the Hokage, he said, "No…she already has a place to live."

The Hokage looked at him with interest. "Where will she live?"

Sasuke hesitated. Before he had a chance to reconsider, he had already spluttered, "With me." Sakura's jaw dropped. _As if he just said that... As if Uchiha Sasuke just said that..._

Silence. All eyes on Sasuke. "With you?" the Hokage asked, breaking the silence. Sasuke stared at him. He didn't want to repeat himself. "Are you sure, Sasuke Uchiha? Will Sakura be comfortable with this?" Sasuke glanced at her, hopefully. She gawped at him.

"S-Sasuke-kun… thank you so much, but wouldn't that be too big of a favour? I would only get in your way, and I cost money, and…and this is a huge decision!"

He smirked. "I already have more than enough money, and I wouldn't mind having company." Sakura didn't know what to stay. The Hokage looked utterly surprised by the Uchiha boy's sudden change in attitude.

"W-well…I guess it's really up to Sakura. What do you say, Sakura?"

She looked at Sasuke slightly nervously and asked, "Do you mind though? I don't want this to be uncomfortable!"

"Have I not made myself clear? I _want _you to stay!"

"You're sure?"

He frowned. "I don't want to repeat myself."

"Is it settled then?" the Hokage asked, eyeing the two of them.

Sakura sighed and said with a small smile, "Well, if Sasuke-kun insists, then I don't think I have a choice." He enjoyed that remark.

**Thank you for reading! It's review time! :3 (Thank you for the reviews so far!)**

**See you tomorrow! :)**


	9. Part 9

Together and Alone - Part 9

Sasuke and Sakura spent the afternoon at the place where Sakura used to live. Fortunately, the wreck had not yet been cleared, so they had time to look through for Sakura's belongings. Sakura found her old dresser and where her closet had been, so she was able to get some of her clothes back. She found a lot of her Academy books and a few precious belongings of hers. Sasuke found her old Photo Album, and pretending to be completely oblivious, he asked if it belonged to her. She took it gratefully.

When they were at last finished, they headed back towards the other end of the village. They passed the flower shop. "Oh, I'd better go see Ino!" Sakura suddenly said.

Sasuke looked up. "Why? You two are always fighting."

Sakura sighed. "I know…but we are still best friends, and her mother was my mother's best friend…"

"Ok, let's make this quick."

They entered the shop and saw Ino resting her head on the counter. "Sakura!" she screeched when she saw them walk in. She ran over and gave Sakura a friendly hug. "I heard about your mother! Are you ok? Do you have a place to stay? My mother is devastated!"

Sakura gave her a teary smile. "Everything will be fine, Ino," she said, returning the hug. She was saying the words to herself more than anyone.

Ino nodded and smiled. "Oh, Sasuke-kun! What are you here for?"

He shifted. "I was…helping Sakura with her things."

Ino nodded, unconvinced. "Well good luck with things, Sakura. If you need anything, give me a call! Stop by anytime!"

They left the shop. "She is a good friend," Sakura said happily. Sasuke said nothing. Whenever he was around, Ino would act really stupid. He didn't see anything good about that. They walked down the road for a few minutes until at last they reached Sasuke's mansion of a house. Sasuke _and _Sakura's mansion of a house.

"I can't believe I live here," Sakura said in awe. Sasuke smirked and continued walking.

They entered the house. Sakura felt totally different when she got inside. The atmosphere was comforting and welcoming. Perhaps this was a subconscious comparison to the current state of her own house She looked around and found something odd. "Sasuke? How is your house so clean? After the ninja's attacked, shouldn't this place be a wreck?"

He sighed. "Oh yes, there are maids who work here. Yesterday was their day off, and they were away when we were in the Land of Waves. They're around here somewhere. They hardly interact with me though."

"Oh."

Sasuke led her up to the master bedroom and allowed her to make herself comfortable. He let her arrange things to make herself feel at home. He showed her around the upstairs and told her that she could use the empty rooms for whatever she wanted. She was amazed. She lived in this huge place? It was like a castle! She was able to fit all of her belongings into one dresser in the corner of the master bedroom. "This is wonderful! How can I thank you?"

He considered the question. "Will you watch a movie with me tonight?"

She smiled. "We should keep the tradition."

They started eating dinner, but were interrupted by a knock at the door. The two of them went to answer it. Naruto and Hinata stood innocently in the doorway.

"Sasuke, you have some explaining to…Sakura-chan?" Naruto said. He was the most confused person in the world. Not that he hadn't always been.

"Haha... Hello, Naruto," Sakura said.

"Sakura-chan, we tried to visit your house, but it wasn't there! What happened?"

"W-where is your family?" Hinata asked.

Sakura turned away. "My mother died. That was why we were in the hospital. I will be okay. Don't worry Hinata and Naruto." The two of them looked like they had gotten hit in the head with a hammer.

"I-I'm so sorry Sakura-san," Hinata said, patting Sakura comfortingly on the shoulder. Sakura smiled.

Naruto lunged at Sakura and locked her in a tight, friendly bear-hug. "Oh Sakura-chan! I'm sorry! I didn't know! I'm so, _so _sorry!" Sasuke had to fight the urge to growl protectively.

"It's ok, Naruto." He let her go and smiled. He turned to Sasuke.

"And why exactly is she at _your _house?"

"She is staying here."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, Sasuke-kun is so sweet! He offered for me to stay here!"

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably when Naruto grinned sneakily in respinse. "See I told you, Hinata-chan. Something is going on with these two. You see Hinata-chan," he said, slipping an arm around her and nearly making her faint, "my team-mates haven't matured the way I have. They're always fooling around, and one day, they just might regret it." Sasuke and Sakura avoided each other's gaze and suppressed their laughs. Clearly Naruto had it the wrong way around.

"You may have Sakura-chan to yourself, Sasuke, but you aren't the only one with a beautiful woman to spend time with!" Hinata was about to drop dead and was as red as a tomato. Sasuke rolled his eyes and Sakura smiled. Naruto opened his mouth to continue, but then a familiar face appeared behind them.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed. He closed one eye- meaning that he was smiling somewhere from beneath that mask.

"There is a party here at Sasuke's house, I see?"

"No sensei, we were just visiting Sasuke and Sakura…they live together now!"

Kakashi smiled again, "The Hokage has informed me."

He turned to Sakura. "How are you Sakura?"

"I'm ok," she lied.

Kakashi smirked. "No you aren't. You should take a break from training for awhile, Sakura. Maybe all of you should."

"No! I need to earn money to pay Sasuke rent!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No," he said.

"We'll begin training right after your mother's funeral." Sakura had forgotten about the funeral… "Shortly afterwards, the Chunin Exams should be starting. Does that sound fair?" They nodded. Kakashi turned to Hinata- who still had Naruto's arm around her. "What is your team doing?"

"W-well, we're doing missions right now. We're mainly doing s-small missions that involve cleaning up after t-the Sound ninja."

Kakashi nodded. "Well, I'd better be off. Take care of yourself Sakura. Oh yes, Sasuke?" Sasuke looked up. Kakashi smiled and pointed to his shuriken pouch. Remembering that this was where Kakashi kept his book "Make-Out Paradise", Sasuke shook his head.

"There's no way in hell."

Kakashi shrugged and made his way away from the house. "Suit yourself. Come to me when you're ready."

"Yeah, we'd better be off too," Naruto said and taking Hinata's arm. "Be happy Sakura-chan! Hands off her Sasuke!" and with that, the two of them left.

Sasuke led Sakura back to the dinner table, cursing. Sakura was laughing inwardly. They finished dinner quickly and Sasuke asked Sakura which room she wanted to watch the movie in. Sakura found this a strange question. In the end, they settled on the living room. It was not elaborately decorated, but it had a very comfortable feel to it.

They took turns getting ready for bed and then making their way downstairs to the couch. The walls and floors were made of dark wood, and it gave the room a slightly rustic feeling. The couch wasn't new like the one in the basement, and was patterned with a bunch of plaid designs. Sakura loved it- it reminded her of her home. They sat down and Sasuke flicked on the TV. He was picking through a series of movies and Sakura called over his shoulder, "No scary ones!" He nodded and picked one that seemed suitable.

He sat next to her on the couch- not as close as the other nights- but still a little close. He could sense that her emotions were blazing far more than on other nights, and he was not quite sure how to approach her.

The movie began and it seemed pretty good. It had a little action and a little romance. It wasn't the best movie in the world, but it was decent. About half way through, they started to feel really tired. Sasuke soon rested his head on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura leaned back into the couch and made herself comfortable. Neither of them really paid attention to the movie. Their eye lids began to droop and it became hard for Sakura to hold her neck up in place.

The credits started. Sakura didn't remember anything about the movie. Sasuke clearly didn't either because he was asleep. Sakura smiled inwardly and she fell asleep too.

"Just one more bowl!" Naruto said, cramming in his fifteenth bowl of ramen.

Hinata let out a small yawn. "N-Naruto-kun… I'm sleepy. Are you ready to go home yet?"

He looked up at her over a mouthful of noodles. "Oh! Hinata-chan! I'm sorry for keeping you waiting! You can leave if you want to. I may not finish for awhile…" He took a mouthful of noodles.

"No, N-N-Naruto-kun. I'll wait for…for…" Suddenly she fell asleep- flopping down on the counter with a thud.

"Hinata-chan, are you ok? Hinata-chan?" He stared down at her sleeping peacefully. He sighed. "This is going to be a long night."

**Thank you for reading, and I'm loving the reviews! Thanks sooo much everyone!  
Well, now it's review time! I hope you liked this one.**

**See you tomorrow with the final part!**


	10. Part 10

Together and Alone - Part 10

Sasuke woke up with a start. It was still dark out and he was in the living room and staring at the blank TV. _I must have dozed off during the movie… _He was panting and shaking. He had again dreamt of his parent's death. When his brother had gone on a rampage and slaughtered his entire clan…

"S-Sasuke?" he heard a timid voice say. He turned fiercely- still angered from his dream. He heard a small squeak. "Did you h-have a nightmare o-or s-s-something, Sasuke-kun?"

His face softened. "Oh. Sakura."

She was staring at him with a shocked expression. She looked fearful and was covering her face with her hands and peeking through her trembling fingers.

"Did I do something to frighten you?" he asked, sitting up and trying to keep his cool. She turned pink and determinedly stopped looking into his onyx eyes.

"Yes. You were shaking visciously and grabbing my arm." Sasuke looked down at her arm and saw scratches and cuts covering it. His eyes widened. He did that?

She twirled a strand of her pink hair around her finger nervously. She didn't want him to feel bad. He had a tough life already. "Let's go upstairs. I might sleep more peacefully in a regular bed," he said quietly.

"Y-yeah," she said. They went upstairs to the master bedroom. "I can sleep somewhere else if you-," Sakura started, but she got a cold stare from Sasuke and stopped.

They lay down on the blankets and closed their eyes. Sakura checked a clock on the side table and it read: 2:08. She sighed. She was wide awake now. She wanted to keep herself occupied, so she looked out the wide window. She could see nearly all of Konoha from here. It was beautiful, peaceful and quiet. Somewhere in the village were all of her other friends like Naruto and Ino…her old house- or what there was left of it- was there too. Same with the Academy, the Hokage's office… "Sakura?" She looked up and saw Sasuke under the blankets, on his side and facing her.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry…I blanked out for a moment. What is it?" Sakura got on her side too. They faced each other for a few minutes. Sasuke took in the image of Sakura's face. Despite all the hardship she had recently overcome and the fear that flickered across her face, she was very pretty. Her large green eyes, her concerned expression, her pink hair that was neatly draped over her pillow, the few strands that were flopped over her face, her rosy cheeks, her eyebrows, her nose, her lips... Even he, Sasuke Uchiha, could not deny it. "Sasuke-kun? Are y-you ok?"

He blinked. "Why are you stuttering?" Was she afraid of him because of his previous outburst? She blushed. She thanked God that it was dark out though. _It's because he looks so…so…_

"Because I'm cold," she lied.

"Oh," he said. "Get under the blankets." It was an order. She did and felt so warm. This bed was the most comfortable bed that she had ever been in. She looked up and nearly jumped. She had accidentally moved noticeably close to Sasuke. They were nearly nose-to nose. She blushed harder than ever. She motioned to back away, but she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to move," he said quietly. Another order. She froze to the spot, and her heart rate continued to increase. Sasuke was watching her curiously. His eyes were scanning her face with an innocent yet penetrating gaze that made her feel extremely self-conscious.

"Calm down Sakura. Do I frighten you or something?" he asked, a little frustrated. He didn't want to frighten her, and suddenly felt incredibly stupid for lashing out in his dream. He wished he could have controled himself.

She averted her gaze and bit her lip. "Yes," she said simply. His face was blank. Before her could speak, she asked "What were you dreaming before?"

"Of my family…and my brother."

"Oh." She thought for a moment before looking back into his eyes. "Will I start having those dreams now that I have no family?"

Sasuke stared at her. He watched as tears welled up in her eyes. "Possibly. If you deeply seek revenge, you may have the same dreams as me."

Sakura pondered over his words again. Her expression was very troubled. She didn't want to be caught up in the same cycle Sasuke was caught in. She didn't want that kind of darkness in her heart... But eliminating an enemy that could cause more harm to the village and other loved ones was an inviting idea...

"But it's alright if you have those dreams, Sakura. You can't hurt me when you're awake, so there's no way you could hurt me in your sleep."

She pouted at him playfully. "That's what you think," she said, raising her fists in front of her. He felt a strong sense of satisfaction at her lighter emotional state. He also liked the sassy look in her eyes.

"Show me," he said, smirking, and sitting up. "Right now."

She laughed, but also tried to get up. "You have got to be kidding me," she said. He hoisted her up by her waist and positioned her to face him. They were both on their knees.

"Let's see what you've got!" he said, pretending to take a defensive stance with his arms.

Sakura started to feel a little fired up by his attitude. "REALLY, Sasuke? Now is not the time for this," she said, playfully swatting him in the arm.

"I hardly felt that," he said, ignoring her remark and cocking an eyebrow.

"You're SO annoying," she said, swatting at him again, this time with a little more power.

"Ah, getting better, but you're going to-" but Sakura put a hand over his mouth.

"What is with you?" she asked with a chuckle. She could hardly believe how playful Sasuke was acting. Just then he grabbed her wrist and pried her hand off.

"Nice try," he said. His smirk was growing. He caught her other wrist as she was flinging it towards him. He held her wrists firmly. "You still have practice to do, Sakura."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm tired, Sasuke," she said while crossing her legs. "Next time, I'll take you out for sure."

Sasuke nodded, also crossing his legs, still holding her wrists. "That sounds like an excuse... But I will take your word for it." Sakura twisted her hands and grabbed his wrists in turn. For a moment they both looked at each other. His smug grin began to soften. Her expression became a little more serious.

"So you'll never give up revenge?" she asked quietly.

"Never."

She frowned. "What will you do after you kill your brother?"

He thought. "I don't know yet. We'll just have to see when the time comes."

"Will you be less cold-hearted after you kill him?" she asked with a smug smile.

He cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not cold-hearted right now, Sakura."

"Fair enough," she said, nodding. She thought about this, but her expression grew more serious. "Sasuke-kun, tell me something... What if you die while fighting your brother?"

"I will take him down with me," he said flatly and a little too quickly. The answer seemed rehearsed. He must have put a lot of thought into this idea.

Sakura's expression hardened at his answer. She looked down with furrowed eyebrows and seemed even more troubled than before. Sasuke didn't like this at all. He disliked this expression on her face - the lack of vibrance - and he especially disliked how he was the source of it.

"Why, are you worried about me?" he asked, a little sarcastically, in attempt to lighten the mood.

She pierced her lips, supressing a small smile and nodded. Her expression was so cute that Sasuke's face flushed. She peered up at him to meet his gaping stare. His expression was so cute that she blushed in turn. Her control over her emotions was more feeble, however, so she turned away. In mid-action, his hand caught her face, and he gently brought her head back to face him.

"So, Sakura," he said, continuing to cup her face with his hand. "What are your life goals right now? What do you want to in the future?" Sakura remembered when Kakashi had asked her the same question. Her answer had involved a glance at Sasuke and a squeal. That was it.

"I'm not too sure about what my goals are… They certainly aren't as serious as yours, but I guess my dream for now is to achieve high levels in my ninja training, to live a happy life with no regrets, to kill as many Sound ninja as possible, but try not to be caught up in revenge. My goals may change, I guess. I don't know."

Sasuke thought about her words for a moment. "Sakura…you're different from before."

"What do you mean?"

He studied her. "Well… you treat me very differently. Before you couldn't even look at me. Now you're so…so different." She had a feeling that she knew what he was getting at. He stared at her intently. "What happened to you?"

She paused and slightly averted her gaze, but his hand kept her face steady. "Well…before I couldn't look at you or talk to you because I was head-over-heels in love with you." She wasn't sure how else to explain it to him. His brows furrowed in concentration. She felt his hand shift against her cheek. He seemed very confused. He was studying her face. She felt very vulnerable.

"What... about now?"

Her face grew very still. She didn't know what to say. Of course she still loved him. But admitting it felt so impossible. She still felt vulnerable under his piercing gaze. She couldn't make the words. She simply stared at him. Sasuke's face slowly fell. His brows continued to furrow and his lips were pierced.

Sakura did not want to see this expression on his face. But she could not find her voice. Instead she placed her hands, gently, on either side of his neck, and slowly caressed his jawline with her thumbs. His expression didn'tchange. If anything, it became more confused.

She pulled herself a little closer until her lips found his cheek. She let them linger for a moment, hoping that she could somehow speak through her actions. She pulled back and stared at his face. His expression was very blank. He was watching her with equal intensity. Her hands still rested on his neck when he blinked and tilted his head to the side, as if in contemplation.

His face, ever so slowly, drew nearer. He was moving cautiously, daring her to move in turn. But she was frozen to the spot. He was hesitant. Sakura did not answer his question. He wasn't sure if he was jumping to the right or wrong conclusion. In fact, he didn't even know what he was doing at all. But moments later, his lips touched hers - only touched. He did not know what he was doing. His eyes were open and she was not moving.

This was all wrong. He was all wrong. His mind was flooded with doubt and he motioned to pull back. But her hand slid up his neck and reached his hairline. She held his head in place, and finally pressed her lips against his, closing her eyes. She was very gentle and he was now the one in shock. Soon he raised his own hands to the back of her neck, and he kissed her back, with a little more force. He still didn't know what he was doing or what this meant. But this seemed to be a sufficient answer to his question.

The kiss lasted several minutes. It was very tender and gentle. It answered all the questions that were brimming in their minds. Sasuke vaguely wondered whether he should have taken advice from the little book Kakashi kept in his shuriken pouch.

They were both parentless and alone in a huge house, and in a huge world. But they were, and always would be, together.

**This was the final part in the story. :) I really hope you enjoyed it!  
Thank you for the reviews so far! Love you guys! :)**  
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**Thank you for reading!**

**I will be updating my other stories very soon. :)**


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